We Can Be Like Those Guys From Those Buddy Cop Movies
by Mattycollns13
Summary: Coulson knew this was a gamble. But he needed more people to take out the left over Hydra base and well... his former agent lived the closest. But then again, maybe having Sk-Daisy be the one to partner with him wasn't his best plan, but it's all he had dammit. He just hoped this didn't backfire and one of them got hurt... or worse became friends.
1. Chapter 1

"You want me to what?" Daisy asked incredulously, making Lincoln wince as her voice rose. He glanced at Director Coulson who, to his credit, looked slightly apologetic as he fiddled with his prosthetic.

"I want you to team up with an old friend of mine to go after a Hydra base in Minnesota. He lives pretty close to there so it won't be much of a problem." Coulson said to a near livid Daisy.

"Why can't I just take my team?" She didn't know who this 'old friend' was of Coulson's, but she and her team had fought and scraped, to get cleared for active duty and she couldn't even take them with her on this mission.

Coulson sighed and pinched the bridge of his nose, glancing at Lincoln for help, but Lincoln shrugged his shoulders at the older man. "I told you Sk-Daisy. We need Joey and Lincoln going after the other Inhumans. I need Mack here, and if I sent Hunter or Bobbi with this person… well it just wouldn't turn out well for anyone."

Lincoln had about a hundred questions after that, and with a glance at Daisy, could tell that she would have many too. After she calmed down from being taken away from her team.

"This is ridiculous Coulson." Daisy said, crossing her arms. Lincoln had been around Daisy long enough to know that this was her way of saying: 'Alright, but I don't like this.'

This didn't affect Coulson in the slightest way. He smiled in a small victory over his agent and continued on with the information on the different ops.

"Lincoln and Joey, you guys will be headed to Paris. We have reports of an Inhuman there who fancies himself a vigilante. We need to bring him in and give him some direction. I don't like the idea of an outstanding player who isn't with us or with the Avengers."

Lincoln nodded at Joey and rolled his shoulders in preparation. He mulled over the information in his head as Coulson droned on about different missions. He would need to be careful. People usually freaked out about their new abilities once becoming Inhuman, but if this new guy was embracing it enough to become a vigilante, that could be a problem.

As Coulson finished up, many of the agents left. When Lincoln finally came out of his thoughts he noticed only Coulson, Daisy, Hunter, and Bobbi left in the room. Daisy had stormed up to Coulson and was talking to him, well, more like at him. Hunter and Bobbi were looking at Coulson suspiciously as Daisy chattered on. It didn't take long before Coulson stopped Daisy with a couple of words. Lincoln was too far away to hear them, but he saw Daisy straighten up immediately. Bobbi's face had gone white, and Hunter had gained a murderous look in his eye.

Lincoln should have probably walked away, but damn him he was curious. He walked up and cleared his throat. "Uh, guys? What's going on?"

Coulson smiled at him, that weird dad-type smile he had. "Oh, nothing. Just told Daisy who her partner will be."

Lincoln furrowed his brow and turned his eyes to Daisy who looked a pale as a sheet. The look in her eyes was excited, yet terrified at the same time. He had no idea who had the capability to get that reaction out of Daisy, let alone the ones he was getting out of Bobbi and Hunter. He looked back up at Coulson for clarification.

"Daisy has the distinct honor of working with a former S.H.I.E.L.D. agent turned avenger, Clint Barton. But you know him as Hawkeye."

The room was stunned to silence for a moment, a moment which Coulson used to excuse himself and start back to his office. He did not cover a soft laugh that seemed to snap Daisy out of her stupor and storm after him.

Lincoln looked to Bobbi and Hunter who looked livid, and Hunter was cursing quietly to her about the Hawkeye guy. Lincoln didn't know what the big deal was; they weren't working with him. He shrugged; it was none of his business anyway. He needed to go find Joey so that they can prepare for their own mission. He did hope Daisy would be okay on a mission with this Hawkeye dude, the Warriors still needed their fearless leader to come back alive.


	2. Chapter 2

Chapter Two

Coulson knew that he was in for an argument as he closed the meeting. He knew that being the director would not help him at all when it came to Daisy Johnson. As he arrived back in his office he was followed, not three seconds later, by the Inhuman herself.

"What the hell Coulson?" Daisy looked furious. Not just mad, but legitimately, red-in-the-face furious, "you just spring that I'm going to be working with an Avenger in front of everyone? And you don't even check with me to see if I'd be okay with that?"

"Daisy, I made the call because I know you can operate on level with an Avenger. Plus Barton has trouble working with anyone who isn't Romanoff. You won't put up with any of his usual crap," Coulson said, sitting down behind his desk, in an effort to put some barrier between him and the livid young woman. Who was admittedly, very scary when she was angry; maybe it was wrong to have Melinda to be the one to train her.

"It still isn't very cool to just pull me away from my team. We are still getting used to working together. Hell, Joey still doesn't know all of the stuff he is capable of," Daisy had crossed her arms and turned herself sideways. Coulson knew this meant he had struck a good enough point to convince her and she was trying to save some face in front of him now.

"I'm sorry Daisy, but you know how being The Director goes. I have to make tough decisions, and this was one. If I could, I wouldn't expose anyone to Barton more than I had to. But this is an important Hydra base," He knew he had won before he had finished his sentence. Daisy sighed and nodded at him.

"Fine, when do I leave?" She asked, still with a clipped voice.

"You have three hours before you leave for Waverly, Iowa. Get everything you need, and maybe some extra patience as well. Barton can be quite infuriating," Coulson said this with a smile. And continued to think about the mission after Daisy had left with a curt nod.

Barton was a good man, an excellent shot, but a horrible agent. He had disobeyed orders on multiple occasions and had back talked almost every superior he could. In fact, Maria Hill still couldn't hear the name Barton without becoming irrevocably angry. Then again, his antics had gotten them the Black Widow, so there was that.

Coulson smirked to himself then as he thought of Daisy. She was a lot like Clint. Maybe a little more inclined to follow orders when push came to shove, but they were incredibly similar. They were both snarky and tended to laugh and make jokes in the face of danger. They were both incredibly tenderhearted people at their core as well, caring little for themselves and more about others. Coulson figured they might just become best friends if they didn't kill each first.

Coulson's phone rang from its location on his desk, under several stacks of mission reports that he had to go over today. He moved them and picked up his phone with a gruff hello. He listened carefully, smiling despite himself.

"Yes Barton, you have to have a partner for this. If you don't who is gonna patch you up when you get injured somehow?" He listened carefully for a response and suppressed a chuckle to try and keep his façade of seriousness.

"Yes you do always get injured, Barton. Do I need to bring up Budapest? No? Didn't think so." Coulson hung up the phone, knowing that would irritate the younger man. He rolled his eyes down to his paperwork, which sat there mocking him. He began to chuckle to himself. If there was one mission report he looked forward to reading, it would be when the personalities of Quake and Hawkeye crash into each other.


	3. Chapter 3

Chapter 3

Daisy had finally calmed down, using the breathing techniques that May had taught her, by the time she was in the quinjet. She had strapped down immediately so she could get her thoughts together, but sat close enough to May in the pilot seat that she could hear her over the hum of the engines. She knew that May was piloting only because Bobbi had flat out refused. She was super curious about that, by the way. What was up with Bobbi and Hunter's reaction to her working with Hawkeye? She had already asked May twice, but just got the emotionless stare and a small uptick of her lips. That wasn't foreboding at all.

She felt the jet start to descend and braced herself for meeting her new partner. She had heard of the archer, Simmons had been giddy when she found out that Daisy was working with him. He was a SHIELD legend apparently, and she of course knew of him from his work as an Avenger. She knew that he worked with the Black Widow; good he would be used to badass women for when she got there. What she didn't know what to expect in working with him. She had heard very conflicting reports about him.

Mack had said that he was a sniper, emotionless and no-nonsense type. Fitz said that he was a prankster, would even attempt to prank Fury when he was bored. Phil had just said that he was one of a kind. And after an awkward exchange with Bobbi, who didn't look happy about having to say anything about him, had just said that he was a human disaster. Thanks guys; that helped a ton.

The jet finally landed with May's usual grace, and she was out of her buckles as May stepped out of the cockpit. Daisy was nervous, I mean this guy was an Avenger, and she had been a groupie once upon a time. She just hoped that didn't bleed through her professionalism. She adjusted her gauntlets, and checked her thigh holster for her weapon. May stepped up to her side and looked at her quietly for a moment.

"Be careful. Barton… he's good, but doesn't really have a sense of self-preservation. Side effects of working with the Black Widow and the Avengers while being the only unenhanced human." May said in her monotone. This caused Daisy to look at her startled.

"Why do I have a sinking feeling that I'm going to be the most responsible one on this mission, which is scary in itself?" Daisy said back at the older woman. May just put a bland smile on and hit the ramp release. The ramp lowered and revealed a rusty, red 1970 Dodge Challenger **.** And leaning up against that beautiful, wonderful car, was Hawkeye. Daisy was honestly… kinda let down.

Hawkeye was leaning against the car with a thermos of coffee, in a bull's eye T-shirt and ragged jeans that had seen better days. He had sunglasses on and was slumped like he had a horrible hangover. Daisy immediately found herself frowning at his unprofessionalism. This was supposed to be one of SHIELD's top agents?

May seemed nonplussed and started forward. When May started forward his head turned and he looked directly at them, and an easy grin slid over his face. He looked at May who had stopped in front of him, and then opened his arms for a hug from May. Daisy's mouth dropped at his boldness, but it grew to a smirk when May didn't move and just crossed her arms. Daisy didn't hold that smug smirk long because the mad man leaned forward and hugged May anyway. Daisy finally caught up to them by the time she finally pushed Hawkeye off of her. He just continued to smirk at them and sipped his coffee, which Daisy could smell from a couple feet away; must have been strong stuff.

"Agent Daisy Johnson, this is Agent Clint Barton," May said without preamble. Clint scoffed at May but stuck out his hand for Daisy to shake anyway.

"I'm not an agent anymore, Melinda," he protested as he shook Daisy's hand. "I'm just Hawkeye, Clint Barton now." He flashed a pleasant smile at Daisy and she took a moment to really look at him.

He was good-looking, though he was probably ten years her senior, so no, but he had tussled blonde hair with a scruffiness about him that was sort of endearing. He had scars along his arms and face that didn't stick out so much as just give him more character. His fingers were taped over an injury with some Band-Aids covering his arms. His shirt was faded and had several stains on it, showing that he probably wore it a lot. She finally looked back up at his face, covered by his sunglasses.

"Nice to meet you, Hawkguy. People have so many different things to say about you. Didn't know one of them was you showing up hung-over to my mission," Daisy said in a professional yet slightly judgmental voice, her frustration at being taken away from her team to work with some hobo that liked to play superhero.

The bastard just smiled, "If I was hung-over, I wouldn't have shown up and May would have kicked my ass. Plus, SHIELD uniform might stand out in the Midwest towns we will be going to."

Daisy simply looked at May, who looked to be suppressing a smile, and then pointed her gaze back to him, unimpressed. "I've assumed you've been briefed on who I am?" She was moving to get into his car.

He seemed to pause and shrugged, "Uh, I think the file is in the back somewhere."

Daisy looked at him incredulously, then to May. Her look clearly asking May for help. May simply shrugged and walked back to the quinjet. Daisy through her head back and groaned. Clint got into the driver's seat and turned the car on. He adjusted the radio to a classic rock station, grinned at her when he saw her face and pulled out of the runway. Daisy looked out the window and glared. Lincoln got to go to Paris; she was in bum-fuck nowhere with an unprofessional, hobo-looking Avenger that liked KISS. She was going to kill Coulson.


	4. Chapter 4

Chapter 4

It had been silent, but for the loud guitar riffs of KISS, for too long between them. Daisy spared a glance at him in the driver's seat. He looked immensely relaxed. So much so that it was beginning to freak her out. Even after she asked to go to a rest stop on the way so she could change into civilian clothes. He didn't even seem to notice and carried on with the awkward silence. Damn bastard was probably enjoying it. She decided she would be the mature one and start the conversation about the operation.

"So, where are we going? I don't think that it would be wise to drive right up to the base and hope for the best," she looked at him for any semblance of displeasure at her tone or lack of respect. All she got was a smirk.

"While that has worked a couple times for Nat and I, I don't believe we know each other's fighting styles well enough for that to work for this," he paused for a half second before beginning again. "And to answer your question, Daisy, we are headed to a town that is a couple miles out from the base."

Daisy tilted her head at him; he had called her by her first name. Not Agent Johnson, not by her codename Quake. There was something strange and familiar about it that she didn't quite know what to think of. She shook it off and continued with her professional attitude.

"What do you hope to accomplish there? Canvasing the townspeople and seeing if they know anything?" She was curious as to how the Avenger operated when he was in the field.

"Sort of. We are going to go to the bar and order a couple beers and relax for a while," And the damn bastard had the nerve to smirk when she snapped her head towards him.

"You have no ounce of professionalism in you, do you?" She shot back with some heat on it. She had been like this when she had just joined S.H.I.E.L.D. and had been reprimanded and told to behave professionally. How could this man who was so respected in the field be such a snarky ass and still be successful?

He shrugged, "I turn it on when I have to. But when I'm not being shot at or tortured, I'm not that strict of a guy. If you want to continue being all… May-like, then go ahead. I, for one, like to see the fun in missions." He raised an eyebrow, just above the top rim of his aviators, at her. A smirk again, curving itself along his jaw. He continued, "And Coulson told me that you reminded him of me when he first picked you up, said that you schooled it down a bit since being a team leader."

"I needed the team to know that I knew what I was talking about. They would respect and listen to me then." She snarled back at him.

He held up his hands, "Meant no disrespect, kid. Just saying, you don't have to shut off that personality completely in the field. I work with the fucking Black Widow, the epitome of buried emotions, and it's thanks to my stunningly beautiful personality that she-who-never-smiles has laughed in the middle of a firefight," he shrugged at her in a 'what can you do' sort of way. "You'll get used to me."

Daisy didn't know what to say to that so she kept quiet mulling over his words. She decided that this, frustration of a man, would be impossible in the field. She would most likely have to do everything the way she had been taught so it wouldn't go to hell in a hand basket via Clint Barton.

She glanced out the window as they passed the town sign, Lakefield Minnesota, she sighed, her breath ghosting along the window; this was going to be a long mission.


	5. Chapter 5

Chapter 5

They pulled through the small town drawing attention, as strangers do when they come to a small town in the Midwest. They drove just above the speed limit of twenty five, enough to where several old ladies, who seemed to think Daisy was dating Clint, who was way too old, flashed several harsh judgmental glares at them. Clint didn't seem to mind, just pulled down his aviators and winked at the old hags, with a cocky smirk, and turned his eyes back to the road. Asshole.

He pulled in front of a bar, the only one in the entire town and parked the car with a flourish. He smiled over at her with glee and she in turn rolled her eyes. She heard him mutter something about "Natasha 2.0" but ignored him and stepped out.

From the noise coming from inside, the bar was packed, yet the parking lot was rather empty. She saw him step out as well, his faded T-shit making him look at home here in the Midwest. While she had elected for a similar ensemble, to fit in, he made this look way more natural than she did. She might even guess he grew up in one of the surrounding states.

He gazed through the windows of the bar with some amount of scrutiny, the first tiny thing he had done today that reminded her that he was an actual spy. Not only was he a spy, but also he was an assassin and an Avenger. One who, somehow, managed to keep pace with gods and super-soldiers with only a bow and some cool trick arrows. She furrowed her brow.

"Where is your bow?" She winced. That had slipped out without any restraint on her part, and sounded harsher and more critical than she meant it to. He took his aviators off his head and hung them on his shirt before answering her with the cocky smirk she was beginning to find endearing. Damn him.

"It's in the trunk. Lots of quivers too. Don't worry I'm prepared… this time." He winked at her and began to stroll in to the bar, not waiting for her to follow. She jogged to catch up with him. Stupid long-legged people.

"So what are we doing here? You never told me the plan." She glanced at him with some semblance of May's death glare. It usually worked on people. And by working, that meant that they cringed and spilled their guts, and while it didn't make him cringe, he did end up answering her.

"It's a small town, if there is a base nearby, people will talk about it. They will more more so if they are tipsy. We get more rumors and such; it could give us an edge when we head over there. And plus, this is the closest town for miles, this is probably where the Hydra goons come to grab a beer after work." He glanced down at her, almost as if looking for her approval of his method. She mulled it over. It did make sense. Though it was tough for her to imagine humanity's douchebags coming to get a beer after work like normal people.

"It's a smart plan," she admitted grudgingly. The smirk on his face grew and she wanted to hit him. "But we are also new here, we will be the talk of the bar as soon as we set foot in there. Did you happen to have a plan for that?" She felt a small sense of satisfaction when his smirk dropped.

"Damn, you're right…. Nat and I usually do the whole marriage thing," he glanced at her with some semblance of apology, "We can do that if you want to shoot for it." Well at least he was asking like a decent human being.

She pulled him to a stop before the hit the entryway. "If we did that, we would attract more unwanted attention. You're like ancient," she had to pause when he let out an indigent squawk of protest, but continued after that, "and we've already gotten those looks once today." He muttered about being young at heart for a second in self-pity but pulled it together after a few seconds.

"I suppose you have a point. Want to go with brother and sister, or sister-in-law?" It surprised Daisy again how much input he was asking of her this early. She expected him to tell her what to do, but he was actually treating her as a partner. She decided she would at least keep the banter going; that seemed to work well with them.

"Looks like it's brother and sister. No way anyone believes someone has the patience to marry you, Barton." He gave her a weird look that faded into amusement, but said nothing to counter her. He just pushed open the door and held it for her to enter.

"After you sister dearest," he said, head bowed. Did she mention that Clint Barton was an asshole?


	6. Chapter 6

Chapter 6

As they entered into the bar, Daisy immediately locked onto four men, sitting on barstools that were Hydra agents. Or they were at least mercenaries. They were all trained, as their eyes snapped over to the two strangers entering the bar. She feigned a look around and spotted an open table. She slapped Clint's ribs with the back of her hand and nodded her head over to the table. He smiled at her and followed.

He plopped down across from her; she gave him the job of keeping the agents in sight, as she placed her back to them. He picked up the menu and began scanning it, as he muttered to her.

"I'm guessing you made them too? Not trying to hide are they?" He asked, as he seemed to decide what he wanted.

"No, guess people here don't ask many questions," she muttered back glancing over the menu herself. Deciding on chicken fingers, she turned her eyes back to him. His eyebrows were scrunched as he tried to watch them out of the corner of his eyes.

"What is that face? You trying to poop?" She asked sarcastically. His face flinched at being caught doing whatever it was he was doing, and he chuckled, clearly embarrassed.

"I was trying to read their lips…I'm, uh, deaf." He tilted his head for her to see the small hearing aids. Her eyebrows shot up at this.

"How did that happen?" He smiled softly at her bluntness, seeming to appreciate her lack of sympathy.

"Long story. It was a whole thing," he brushed it off as he conveniently missed the wince that flew across her face. Damn, Hawkeye had some history. He turned back to her and immediately changed the subject. Subtle.

"Speaking of which, when did you have the time to change?" He glanced at her new ensemble: a simple orange T-shirt and some jeans with holes in them along with converse. Oddly enough it had been Bobbi that had helped her pick these clothes for undercover. She matched Clint in style well enough. I mean, she did look better, obviously, but it was matched well enough to see that they could run in the same social circles.

"At the rest stop. You went to the bathroom. How are you just now noticing Mr. Avenger?" He frowned at that like he was trying to remember.

"I was gone for, like, two minutes," Daisy tilted her head at him and raised her eyebrow. He muttered something to himself, but they were close enough that Daisy could hear him say something about Natasha. As in the Black Widow, Natasha.

"What's it like working with her?" Daisy asked, a conspirator's smirk appearing on her face. There was no way that two people that attractive and that close are not sleeping together.

"Well, I don't want to brag, but you are looking at the only person that has made the Black Widow laugh hard enough that milk came out of her nose. On a mission, no less." He seemed rather proud of himself and Daisy let out a short laugh.

"Won't she kill you for destroying her street cred?" His smirk immediately dropped and a look of pure, unadulterated fear came over him. But before he could respond the waitress came over and took their order. Once she had gone, the look of fear on Clint's face was gone and replaced by his annoyingly normal face.

"So you control vibrations? That's gotta be really cool," he raised his own snarky eyebrow at her. It took her several seconds to get what he was hinting at and she swore that she could feel the blush to her toes. He laughed at the look on her face and waved her off. "I'm just kidding! God, I should have added that face to my snapchat story," He then looked worried for a second, "People are still using snapchat right?" She rolled her eyes, her embarrassment quickly going away.

"Yes, oh ancient one." He squinted at her in challenge, but before he could say anything two drinks were brought over. The waitress looked incredibly bored, but muttered that, 'they had been paid for by the men at the bar'. Daisy looked over towards the agents and gave them a kind smile. Hydra douches.

"Looks like we've been noticed," Clint sighed, "I was looking forward to my Mac and Cheese…" She shook her head at him. He gave her an offended look, "What?"

"You are a child," she said simply.

"Says the girl who ordered chicken fingers!" He shot back at her. She shrugged her shoulders. And noticed when he sat straighter. They had incoming.

"You two aren't from around here are ya?" The first one asked. Did Hydra only recruit tall, dark, and handsome men? They looked like clone copies of one another.

Clint smiled kindly, "Nah, just passing through." The man looked down between them at their untouched drinks.

"You not a fan of beer?" He asked them skeptically.

"Huge fan," Clint replied, "Just can't be too careful with drinks you didn't pour or didn't come out of a bottle these days."

The man hummed and sized Clint up more, "I think I recognize you…" He was debating with himself if he really wanted to start something.

Clint seemed to wince, "I just have one of those faces." They stared at each other for several more minutes before the lead goon reached for his gun. Clint was faster and smashed the glass full of beer on the man's head. Daisy drew her gun and pointed it at one of the two men, while Clint drew his at the other one. They both looked too stunned to do anything. Clint gave a longing look at the broken glass and beer staining the floor. "Aw… Alcohol…"


	7. Chapter 7

Chapter 7

Daisy did not expect to get into a standoff while at the bar. But she was prepared for it. The two goons took several moments to get over their surprise and then leapt at Clint and Daisy. Daisy didn't fire a shot, too many civilians, and used the butt of the gun to try to knock out her opponent before the fight could really start. But, besides a gash across the face, he didn't look too concerned by it. She spun out of the way, landing two swift punches to his ribs and backed off.

He came at her again and this time, he got in a punch to her shoulder. Goddamn that hurt. His fists were like little trucks. She ducked under another wild strike and grabbed behind her to grab her own drink, splashing it across his face. He cried out but before he could even wipe his eyes, Daisy had swung on him and his face greeted the floor rather enthusiastically.

She looked over to Clint, who was still fighting. She stepped in to help and he yelled back at her, "Get the civilians out, make sure that there aren't any more Hydra agents!" She looked around, most of the civilians were out and the ones that weren't were leaving. Clint got struck in the head, and dropped his gun. The man dove for it and grabbed it, training it back on the stunned Clint from the agent's position on the floor. Daisy had never been a soccer play, or a sports player of any kind, but she was sure that the punt she gave the agent's head would have made any kicker proud. Clint looked at her, and then behind her and his eyes flashed angrily.

She turned and saw an innocent looking woman, now with murder in her eyes on the phone with someone, she guessed, would not be happy that they were in town. She turned back, but Clint was tying up the unconscious men, more roughly than he needed to. "Next time I tell you something, listen." She scoffed at that.

"You're welcome for the save." He turned his eyes toward her and glared.

"We just put a whole town in danger because you couldn't think like an agent!" He was speaking at a regular talking level, but his tone was seething with anger.

"We just leave, and then we are good." Daisy explained easily.

"You don't get it do you? I'm an Avenger, this idiot recognized me. That means that the woman on the phone knows. Do you think that they won't destroy an entire town to kill an Avenger?" He explained as if she were a five year old. Oh… Shit.

"Oh, shit," she verbalized. He nodded his head, his anger no longer prevalent.

"Oh shit, indeed. Meet me at the car." He strode out among the blood and broken glass.

"I thought you said it didn't matter if we left?" she shot after him, beginning to follow.

He stopped at the door, waiting for her to catch up, "We aren't. We are defending." She finally comes to stand next to him and tried to coax a smile out of him.

"We could call ourselves the Defenders, since I'm not an Avenger and all that." His mouth twitched into a half smile, which relieved her a bit, that she had not angered him too severely.

"That'd be nice, but that name is taken already. Let's not waste any more time. Suit up." He stepped out of the door and into the sunlight.


	8. Chapter 8

Chapter 8

It was several hours later when they first heard the cars. They had gotten their gear on and gotten the townspeople out of the city. Many of them with grumbling and curses aimed at them. Now they were stationed on a rooftop, Clint's idea, and were waiting for almost certain death. So naturally they were cracking jokes. You wouldn't understand, it's a hero thing.

"So you ready to get into a fight with Hawkeye?" Clint asked cockily.

"Wasn't I in one earlier?" She asked generally confused, before adding, "you know it's weird when you refer to yourself in the third person." He just smirked back.

"That was a bar fight. This is a real fight. Plus now I have my bow. I feel much more Hawkeye-like." She rolled her eyes and eyed the dust on the upcoming cars.

"How do you wanna play this Hawkeye? Want me to just send the cars flying? We can be done and head to the base." She glanced at him, deciding to follow his lead this time, as an apology of sorts for adding to their problems. No way was she going to tell Clint Barton sorry in any other way.

"No, we still need information from a couple of them. You can take out a few, but don't do it if it puts you at risk. Let the rest of them come. I'll put an arrow in their knees." He looked rather confident and excited. Daisy rolled her eyes.

"A skyrim reference? Really?" She looked at him as his gaze snapped back to her.

"What?" Daisy tried to hold a poker face as best she could.

"What?" He stared at her for a long moment before turning back to the scene of their imminent demise.

"Sneak around back and take out the last three cars. We should be able to deal with two carloads of guys," he said. She nodded.

"You sure that's not too many?" She asked. He just grinned at her. "You have a death wish." But she got up and snuck over to the end of town. She waited until the cars had stopped, gave enough time for men to unbuckle their seat belts before she sent a large wave of vibrations at the back three cars. They flew off, rolling into a mangled mess, like they were toys.

The men in the remaining two cars piled out quickly and one was immediately met with an arrow in the chest. They ducked and ran for cover. A couple more men took arrows in less vital places. Daisy pulled her gun and began firing at the men of Hydra, whom were running like mice to find a place to hide.

For the next hour it was Hydra men trying to pick her and Clint off from their hiding places and Clint keeping her entertained over comms. Then finally they became a hair smarter. She saw one pull some form of rocket launcher out of the back and aim it towards Clint's rooftop.

"Clint! Get down!" She shouted into her comm as the man fired. She saw a purple and black blur jump from the roof and land on the ground in the street, rolling gracefully. But the Hydra goons opened fire as Clint tried to scramble behind a car. She saw him flinch and stumble, but he made it to cover. He pulled an arrow out of his quiver, winked at her from behind the car, stood up, and fired. It sailed into the general direction of the Hydra goons. After about three seconds, it exploded. Men flew everywhere. All of them were hurt and bleeding in some way. Daisy ran forward and began searching the bodies of the dead and wounded men. She found a couple USB drives that she could probably find helpful. And ran over to Clint who was standing against the car he had used as cover. He looked over to her and smiled, though she could tell it was forced.

"Not bad, kid. Almost impressed me." He chuckled. She glared at him.

"What about you old man, you sure you should be jumping off rooftops?"

He winced and sighed, "You'd think that I would learn… I fall off roofs often enough." She took a step toward him, glancing him over.

"You okay?" He stopped her and tried to take a step forward, muttering that he was fine under his breath. She gave him credit; he made it all of two steps before collapsing. She hurriedly turned him over and inspected him; she saw what had caused it now. A gunshot to the side; he was losing blood at a slow but steady pace. She looked him in the eyes, they were dazed and pain. He grasped her arm.

"Left jacket pocket. Take me there and no where else. And don't… wreck my car…" His eyes rolled into the back of his head, and the back of his head eagerly met the road. She unzipped his jacket and dug into the pocket of his combat uniform. She didn't feel anything. She dug deeper.

If she hadn't been so distressed to find something there, she wouldn't have felt it. In the lining of his jacket she felt something shift against her fingers. She ripped it immediately and found a small piece of paper. She glanced at it. It was an address in northern Iowa. They were close enough to the border that she could get there in an hour. She would need to bandage his wound now to hold him over, but she should be able to get there.

"You better not die on me Barton. I can't have the Black Widow coming after me." She muttered to the unconscious man. He didn't respond.


	9. Chapter 9

Chapter 9

Daisy was a little shocked when the farmhouse came into view. Clint was unconscious in the passenger seat. Little bastard would be smirking at how stumped she was at this development. She pulled up the gravel road as close as she dared and moved quickly to get him inside. While she had roused him enough to get him into the car, she was struggling with his dead weight now. She saw a light on inside and knew that she could trust these people, whomever they were, to help. Clint wouldn't have a random address hidden in his tactical vest without reason. She looked down at the dozing Hawkeye. "You freaking lard ass."

She headed up the wooden steps and knocked on the door somewhat urgently. She can't be the reason an Avenger dies. That would just be a sucky thing to have on her permanent record. Or whatever the SHIELD equivalent was. She heard the lock unlatch almost soundlessly, and she frowned in confusion. She took a glance behind her for a split second and when she turned around met with the barrel of a gun.

"Who are you?" A dark-headed, deadly looking woman said on the other end of the gun.

"Uh…" Daisy winced, "I'm a friend?" She hated herself so much right now. "Who are you?" she questioned back at the woman.

"The proud owner of this pistol. And a well trained shot." The woman answered back severely. Her eyes took a quick glance at the car and her eyes widened. "What did you do to him?"

"I'm saving his life lady! He told me to come here, so get your thing out of my face!" Daisy winced, "That sounded dirty…"

The woman stared at her hard and after a moment or two of deliberation, put the gun down with a smirk. "That did, indeed, sound very dirty. What happened?"

"Stupid idiot got shot. I can't move his heavy ass in here by myself." Daisy gestured for the woman to follow her, "he has a gunshot wound to his side. I put pressure on it and did the basic first aid stuff, but it was about an hour drive."

The woman didn't lose her cool; she just stared down at Clint and gestured for Daisy to get his legs. Daisy followed the woman's instructions. The hauled Clint into the house and laid him on what appeared to be a dining table. He groaned and opened his eyes a little. His eyes flicked to the gorgeous woman that Daisy had found and he grinned like a dope. Daisy couldn't blame him; he lost a lot of blood.

"Hey there sweetheart…." He winked at the woman. Daisy rolled her eyes, and cut in before the woman could most likely tell him off.

"God Clint, don't flirt right now. You're lucky she is even helping." Daisy glared at him half-heartedly. She would have been more critical but the guy was shot. The woman just smiled and pats his cheek patronizingly.

"Oh, he is in trouble when he wakes up. He is just trying to get on my good side," she explained to Daisy. Daisy shot her a curious glance as the woman began to undo the tactical vest and look at Clint's wound. "My name in Laura. Laura Barton."

Daisy's mouth drops open in absolute shock. She sputters to say something of significance, but her mind is totally blank right now. Where did the two of them meet? Was there a hot persons club Daisy hadn't heard of?

Laura just smirked as she got the supplies out to help fix Clint. Which included, Daisy would later note, a bag of blood that they kept stored there for emergencies. She didn't look up from her work, "Yes, I married him. He must trust you if he allowed you to bring him here."

"I…this was out first mission together," Daisy tries to explain. Laura just continues on, inserting the IV into his arm.

"You going to introduce yourself or…?" Daisy bit back a retort to that. She did not need to upset Clint's wife, that he apparently had. Especially not inside her house as she was stitching up Clint.

"I'm Daisy. Uh, sorry. Still getting used to the whole… married thing. I mean, don't get me wrong, I can totally see it…" Daisy winced, whenever she got rattled her mouth just ran off like this. She muttered something under her breath about hot older people and tried to pull her mind away from where it had treacherously went. She heard Laura snicker and Daisy's face turned bright red.

"If you think we are that impressive, wait until you meet Natasha," she said with a grin. Daisy promised herself that she was not going to open her mouth ever again. She just focused on watching Laura work.

It took about another fifteen minutes but soon Laura was pulling her blue latex gloves off and throwing them away. "He should be okay. He'll need the IV refilled in about an hour. You gotten over the fact that someone married this child?" She smirked at Daisy and Daisy just nodded, her blush coming back the tiniest bit.

She was so focused on not saying something stupid that she almost missed a small voice from behind her. "Mommy?" Daisy whirled around and found herself looking at a small replica of Laura. But instead of Laura's black hair, she had Clint's sandy blonde. Her mouth dropped open again and her eyes were wide. She was most likely going to scare this child with her face but… holy shit. She was rattled yet again, on the same night, so naturally her mouth betrayed her.

"Oh my god, there's a mini-Hawkeye." Dammit, stupid brain.


	10. Chapter 10

Chapter 10

Laura immediately stepped in front of the unconscious Clint, blocking him from the little girl. "Hey sweetheart, aren't you supposed to be asleep?" She said this in the tone that all mothers seemed to have. At least functional ones. It was chiding, but laced with concern. Daisy was still getting over her shock at the little brown-headed child, the one who was currently staring a whole through Daisy. She turned back to her mom and simply raised an eyebrow in silent question of this woman's presence in her house. Daisy specifically heard the older woman next to her mumble a curse about Natasha's influence before smiling back at her daughter. "This is Daisy. She's daddy's friend."

"Like Uncle Steve and Uncle Tony?" The girl said in a cautious tone, like she was waiting for Daisy to be ranked on a scale of worth alongside this Steve and Tony. Whomever the fuck they were. The girl with these piercing eyes was staring a hole through her. This was the most unsettling child she had ever met.

Laura seemed to look at Daisy, whom was covered in muck and dried blood. Laura seemed to take stock of her for the second time tonight. Her gaze lingered on Daisy's eyes for several moments. "I think she is more like Aunt Wanda… or Aunt Kate." Lila seemed to straighten up at that and snapped her eyes to her mother in shock. It took her a few moments but she seemed to find reassurance in Laura's eyes and relaxed. She granted Daisy a beautiful smile, her mini-spy training face gone. Her gaze flickered back towards the table.

"Daddy got hurt again, didn't he?" She said with what seemed to be exasperation. Laura chuckled and nodded at the child.

"He sure did… giving me gray hairs… But he is going to be okay Lila," Laura smiled reassuringly to the child who seemed to take it in stride. Now Daisy had finally come out of her stupor by this time. She looked between the mother and daughter and blew a breath out of her mouth.

"Man, how many more surprises you got in store for me…?" She was almost afraid to ask the older woman who smiled.

"Just wait until breakfast tomorrow," she said cryptically. She was looking at Lila who just continued to stand there. The little girl put on her, "oh-c'mon-you-really-don't-know-why-I'm-still-here?" face and tilted her head. "Oh, you want a story, baby?" Laura looked between her child and husband, the first look of indecisiveness that Daisy had seen from the woman since she had met her. Daisy stepped towards the woman, but the little girl's eyes tracked her in the small movement. Daisy instead turned away from her mother and spoke to Lila.

"I could tell you one. Your mom probably needs to keep an eye on your dead. Without us he'd probably do something stupid, right?" Daisy smirked at the little girl and she took a few seconds before smiling back at Daisy.

"Okay! But you have to tell me one that I haven't heard! Auntie Nat has a bunch of cool ones, she'll be tough to beat!" The little girl was jumping excitedly and grabbed Daisy's hand. Daisy was wide-eyed at the sudden mood change, but she let herself be dragged forward towards the stairs. She shot a look of indecisiveness back at Laura who looked just as shocked as Daisy felt. But she shook it off and smiled at Daisy, nodding her head in encouragement.

Apparently Daisy was popular and had wormed her way quickly into the heart of a little girl that was raised by a bad-ass nurse, a goofy marksman, and, it seemed, a deadly Black Widow. Check that off her non-existent bucket list.


	11. Chapter 11

Chapter 11

Daisy turned the corner to follow Lila and found the girl waiting at the bottom of the stairs. Daisy stopped and gazed expectantly at the little girl who was staring at her critically once more with her arms folded. Daisy heard the quiet mutterings and movements of Laura attending to Clint in the next room; no help from Laura this time it would seem.

"Do you have superpowers? Like all the rest of my aunts and uncles? Are you an Avenger?" Lila rattled off her questions quickly and with the chipper attitude that you would expect of a child. Daisy just coughed in surprise.

"Uh, yeah I have powers, but none like any of the Avengers," she moved past Lila to start up the stairs, the little six year old trailing after her.

"What can you do? Your uniform looks kinda like Auntie Nat's," the girl moved in front of her to lead the way to her room.

"I can create vibrations and control them. Can even make mini-earthquakes… well not that mini, but…" Daisy stopped after Lila spun around and gaped at her. Daisy stopped immediately so she didn't run over the small girl.

"That is cool as hell," Lila said. Daisy couldn't help but let a huge snort of laughter out at this. Lila sounded so much like her dad it was ridiculous. Daisy looked down at the little girl who was looking up at her like she was a rock star and smiled.

"Where's the bathroom? I can show you a little bit before our story." Daisy grinned wider when the younger Barton smiled like a maniac, not unlike her father, and raced towards a door down the hall. Daisy followed at a brisk walk and met her there. Lila was bouncing up and down from her seat on the top of the toilet. Daisy walked to the sink and turned it on and glanced at Lila, who was already watching entranced.

Daisy focused her mind on the water coming down from the faucet, just as she did back when she was at the secret cabin. She smiled as Lila let out a low 'whoa' at the twirling water coming out of the faucet now. Daisy held it for a few moments longer before she let it resume its normal spray and turned with a grin to Lila.

"Still cool as hell?" Lila just nodded and sprang up, grabbing one of Daisy's gauntleted hands and dragging her back down the hall to another door. Most likely her room. Lila opened the door and darted in, she pointed out several stuffed animals saying that 'Uncle Steve' and 'Uncle Tony' gave them to her. Daisy noticed that there was a small toy bow leaning in the corner. She smirked; this was definitely Hawkeye's daughter.

Lila grabbed a plushie spider and scrambled under the covers for her story. She looked up at Daisy with expectant eyes and patted the edge of the bed. Daisy sat down and looked at the little girl.

"So… a story huh? Do you like one with princesses or…?" Lila wrinkled her nose in apparent disgust.

"Tell me the story of how you got your powers!" Lila pressed her black spider to her chest tighter. "I bet it's full of action and adventure!" Daisy sighed and nodded.

"Okay… lets see." Daisy didn't know if she wanted to tell this story. She had to decide what to leave out. This story had a serial killer father, a creepy flower dress wearing bitch, and the death of her best friend. Nothing a six-year old needed to hear.

"Well okay, so we were on a super secret mission. There was a very scary lady who was trying to get to a, uh, building. I followed her after I took out a bunch of bad guys. I got mad ninja skills, girly." Lila giggled at this and turned on her side. She buried her way into the pillow and continued to watch Daisy as she told the story.

"So I finally found her and she was at this weird circle room with this crazy device that could… turn you to stone!" She said this dramatically and in such a fantastical way that she hoped Lila would take it more of a mythological kind of thing rather than the horrifying reality of what the diviner really was. "Then she released the device and it floated up and then BOOM it shattered and all this mist came out," she smiled as Lila gasped, totally into this story. Daisy might be good at this after all.

"Then suddenly me and the girl both started turning to stone, but it wasn't just stone it was bigger and it was encasing us. Like the way caterpillars turn into butterflies. You've seen that before, yeah?" Lila nodded with wide eyes. "Then we both burst out of the rock cocoons and I started to make everything shake cause I didn't know I had my powers yet, and then we both had to run so the building didn't fall on us!" She spared a glance down at Lila and smiled when she saw her eyes drooping. "Then I had to work on controlling my powers, but I think that is enough story for one night." Daisy reached out to smooth Lila's hair back and smiled as the little girl closed her eyes and basically face-planted into her stuffed spider.

Trying to be very quiet, Daisy stood up and stretched her back out. She moved to the door and closed it quietly behind her so as not to disturb this wonderful child that had accepted her and endeared herself to Daisy so quickly. Daisy sighed as she turned towards the steps. Time to go check on the biggest child of them all.


	12. Chapter 12

Chapter 12

Daisy made it back downstairs a few moments later to see Laura checking Clint's heartbeat against her watch. Daisy made to wait a few moments to let her finish, but Laura must have heard her.

"She never takes to anyone that quickly. Except for Wanda and Kate." Laura glanced up smiling, "You must be the chosen one."

Daisy grimaced, "Been told that my whole life. Am I ever going to find out who these random women are by the way?"

Laura chuckled, "Wanda and Kate are like the older sisters Lila wishes she had instead of brothers." Daisy raised an eyebrow.

"God how many kids did you get out of him?" Laura just smirked and dropped her husband's hand from her own. Clint groaned from his makeshift bed on the table. He lifted his head up pitifully.

"Didn't die? Cool." He dropped his head and smiled dopily up at his wife. Laura had a smile on her face for all of three seconds before her caring hand came down across the top of his head. Daisy winced at the loud pop it made as it connected.

"Clinton Francis Barton!"

Daisy chuckled, "Francis…" Clint just squinted at her angrily before his attention was back on his wife who was now laying into him.

"…highly irresponsible and dangerous! You made that poor girl carry you all the way here!" Laura was looking down at him with a scowl. Clint mumbled something under his breath about how Daisy only carried him to the car and Laura's hand lashed out and caught his nose and pulled. Clint seized up and mutters 'ow' repeatedly until his wife let go. He glared at her.

"I was shot today!" If he thought that was an excuse then the look on Laura's face should have clued him in differently. A sickly sweet smile had appeared in place of her scowl. She pulled out a cell phone that looked like it was from the early 90s. More like a satellite phone really.

"How about I call Natasha and see how she feels about this?" Laura asked with the "proper concern" Clint had been complaining that she lacked. Clint's eyes grew about four sizes and had Daisy clutching her stomach as she laughed, as Clint apologized to his wife profusely. He offered to cook and clean just about anything to get her to change her mind.

Laura simply pointed at Daisy and said in a crisp voice, "Apologize."

Clint looked at Daisy with a pleading glance and said, "Sorry, Daisy."

Daisy smiles at him and nods, "S'okay old man, just not as agile as you used to be." Clint scowls at her and looks like he is about to respond with a scathing remark when his wife coughs softly. He straightens a bit and smiles up at her, his eyes losing their usual dimness and lighting up when he sees her. Literal heart eyes. Grossly Adorable.

Daisy coughs into her hand to break up the love fest. "So, uh, where am I bunking?"


	13. Chapter 13

Chapter 13

Daisy wakes up the next morning at nine a.m. At least as far as she can tell. There is no clock in her borrowed room. Apparently Wanda can magically tell time too; cause there isn't even an analogue clock on the wall. Daisy had been absolutely dead tired last night, slept like a rock, what had woken her this early? She took a moment to take in her surroundings; Wanda had some stuff in her room that you'd find in a witch or magic shop. Daisy couldn't name half the stuff in here, but she wasn't going to touch anything. She might turn into a frog or explode or something. She perked up when the smell, it must have woken her up the first time, hit her again. Pancakes. Score.

She bounded down the stairs, finding Laura and Clint standing near each other, Clint with a coffee in his hand, murmuring to one another. Clint saw her and smiled his eyes flicking to a cup of coffee on the counter, obviously for her. She took it, frowned at the cup he had chosen (I heart Hawkeye), but took a drink of the life saving coffee. God it was so good. She was coming back here for coffee every day for the rest of her life.

Her second sip was interrupted by a piece of silverware clattering against a plate. She spins around and comes face to face with a boy, roughly 11 years old who is staring at her with his mouth open, his fork full of pancakes lying forgotten on his plate. Daisy glanced back at Clint, he smirked and nodded his head towards the boy.

"That's Cooper," Daisy nodded her head, she knew they had more than Lila in the kid department, but this kid was actually older. He and Laura must have got together quite a few years ago. Go Hawkeye. Daisy turned to look at Cooper who had yet to say anything to accompany his gawking stare.

"Hi Cooper. I'm Daisy," Cooper immediately blushed and mumbled hi back very softly. Lila was looking at him critically then turned her head back to Daisy.

"Cooper just thinks you're pretty. G'morning Aunt Daisy! Hope you didn't touch anything in Aunt Wanda's room! She doesn't like for people to touch her things said they might explode! Isn't that cool!?" Lila chattered on so happily and fast that Daisy had a hard time keeping up.

"Uh, well thank you Cooper. I'd look prettier, but your dad had to drag me all over Minnesota," she glanced back at Clint who stuck his tongue out at her, his bandaged ribs peaking out from underneath his shirt. She blew a raspberry at him and Laura spared them a glance.

"I didn't know I had five children in the house," she said with a hip check to her husband. He winced a bit and chuckled.

"Sorry, hon," Laura just hummed in agreement before setting down a plate of pancakes for Daisy, whom had taken a spot next to Lila who had continued to chat away as Daisy sat down. She was halfway through her first plate of pancakes when the cry of a baby sounded throughout the house. Clint moved as if to go upstairs, but Laura stopped him with her hand on his chest.

"I've got this one," she smiled back as Clint grinned back at her like she was the best thing on earth. Daisy might be inclined to agree with pancakes as good as these. She waited for Laura to leave before she gave Clint a glance.

"God, how many rugrats do you have, Hawkeye?" He chuckled at her and pointed to Lila and Cooper.

"Those two and the baby upstairs. Nathaniel." Daisy snorted and shook her head.

"That's three human lives you are responsible for. You can't even do a mission without getting hurt," he looked at her faking a hurt expression.

"Hey, I'm a great dad!" He looked at Lila who looked back at him and just raised an eyebrow. She looked so much like Laura it scared Daisy. Clint chuckled, "Well they're still alive so, doing okay so far."

Laura moved back into the kitchen with little Nathaniel and Daisy had to stop herself from cooing. She had always liked kids. Nathaniel was a fat baby; his onesie was clinging to all his cute baby fat as he gurgled away happily. Laura walked around with him on her hip like a pro. Nathaniel had reached for Clint who was making goofy faces at his son, and warming Daisy's heart to see him like this. Laura moved over to her other children and Daisy gesturing to Nathaniel.

"This is the last child we are springing on you, I promise. Last child period." She sent a harsh glare at Clint who just raised his hands in a 'what can you do' gesture. Daisy had come to stand with her plate to take to the sink and wash, she was a good guest dammit. Laura saw this and smiled, "Trade ya." She plopped Nathaniel in Daisy's arms and took her plate to the kitchen.

Daisy held Nathaniel out like a bomb. Clint was trying to stifle his laughter from behind the counter. Daisy may have liked kids, but she was a spy, a killer, and a vibration controlling super hero. She didn't hold babies. Nathaniel just looked at her and gave a gummy baby grin, before sticking his fist into his mouth. Clint chuckled, "I think he's hitting on you, Johnson. Nathaniel Pietro Barton, you dog." Laura laughed.

"Well he's much smoother than you Hawkass." Clint scowled back at his wife, who just smiled and pinched his cheek with a soap-covered hand.

"Pietro? Like the speedster?" Daisy asked, only for Clint's fond smile to drop into a tight line.

"Yeah, he saved me in Sokovia. Died. Figured it'd be a nice way to remember him." Clint rubbed the back of his neck, as Laura placed a soft hand on his back. Daisy winced at herself, way to kill the pleasant mood Johnson.

"Oh, sorry…" Clint waved her apology off and smiled at his son.

"Wanda approves, that's all I care about." His smile widened and when Daisy looked down to see why, she noticed she had unconsciously moved the baby into a more traditional hold, close to her, his hands fisting into her shirt from yesterday. Gross, slobber covered shirt.

Clint grinned at her, "Well I didn't take you for motherly instinct type." Daisy glared at him.

"Careful, your daughter likes me better than you."

Clint glanced at Lila who shrugged, doing a great impression of her father's 'what can you do' look. He gave her a half-hearted glare. Daisy looked down at Nathaniel and smiled, she was glad Pietro saved Clint. He was a cool guy, and had an awesome family who seemed to be intent on adopting Daisy.

"Glad you're still alive, Barton." His attention snapped back to her, and glanced at her quizzically for a moment.

He smiled softly, "Don't get mushy on me, Johnson."

She gave him a mock glare, "Wouldn't dream of it, ancient one."

Clint grinned and stuck his tongue out at her again. She immediately stuck her tongue out at him. He wanted a fight, he was going to lose.

Laura threw her hands up, "Oh my God, you are both children!" She had her hands on her hips and a frown on her face, but Daisy could see the silent amusement on her face.

"Sorry, babe."

"Sorry, Laura."


	14. Chapter 14

Chapter 14

Daisy had her tactical suit back on and was standing by the front door waiting to leave. She turned back around after placing her bag down to wait for Clint. Laura was right there with Nathaniel on her hip.

"Do you have everything?" She looked a little worried now, and Daisy couldn't stop the warm feeling in her chest that only being worried and asked after by someone who cares about you can create. Daisy nodded her head, bending down to tickle Nathaniel's stomach. She had gotten more used to the baby over the last three days. Nathaniel giggled and patted her hand. A smile lit up her face as she watched him.

Clint walked up not too long after, his own bag and tactical suit, now recently stitched up, with him. He smiled at his son and kissed his wife's cheek, setting his things on the ground. Daisy heard the pitter patter of little feet and looked down to see Lila beaming up at her. She smiled and bent down until she was eye to eye with the little girl who had seemed to claim her in the short time she had been there.

"So I know you have to leave to go beat up bad guys, and I don't know when you're coming back." Lila frowned at this, but shook it off to smile again, pulling a piece of paper out from behind her. She handed it to Daisy. "I made this for you, so you'll remember to come back and visit."

If Daisy's heart wasn't breaking before, it did now. She took the picture and looked at it. It was a picture of what looked to be two birds and a spider hanging over a cauldron that was sitting next to a single flower. Well this little girl was going to be the death of her it would seem. The symbolism not escaping Daisy, she opened her tac suit and folded the paper.

"I'm gonna keep this in my pocket all the time. That way I'll never forget." Lila beamed up at her as Daisy folded the picture into quarters and fitted it into her pocket. "And I'll come visit whenever I have a chance. And I'll call even more often than that." Lila nodded excitedly as a slightly taller shadow appeared above them. Daisy looked up into the blushing face of Cooper.

"Uh, here you go… Daisy." He held out his hand, and clutched tightly there was a single flower that the boy seemed to pick himself. Daisy smiled and took it; she winked at Cooper.

"Thank you, Cooper. This is so sweet. I'll have to wear this in my hair on the way back to base. After we kick bad guy butt, that is." She put it on the top of her ear, like you would a pen and smiled at him. "How do I look?"

He blushed and nodded his head quickly, just as Lila gasped and screamed, "You look so pretty! Mommy I want a flower crown!" Lila turned to look for her mother, and wrinkled her face in disgust. Daisy looked up to see what had caused it and had to stop herself from laughing out loud.

Nathaniel had been placed in his bouncer thing and Laura and Clint were in the middle of an intense make-out session. Laura even had leg hoisted up on Clint's hip. Daisy looked down to Lila and gave her a questioning glance. Lila shrugged.

"They do this when daddy is gonna go on a mission. It's gross, but it just means that they love each other." Lila explained; because she was the smartest six year old that Daisy had ever known and would ever know. Daisy smirked and cleared her throat. When that didn't seem to catch either of their attentions she looked down to Lila and raised her eyebrows. Lila waved her off.

"I can get them. Watch this." She cleared her throat before saying in an overly peppy voice. "Aunt Daisy can I see your gun!?" Clint and Laura sprung apart and looked around for their daughter, only to come across a smirking Daisy and Lila and a laughing Cooper. Laura tried to fix her hair, blushing tiniest bit, yet still trying to look dignified as if she did not just get caught making out like a teenager with her attractive husband. As was her prerogative. Clint could not look more unapologetic; his smirk lighting up his face.

"Now that that's over, can we go? We still gotta get the data from the base." Daisy said this with a smirk, only increasing Laura's blush, which in turn increased Clint's smirk.

"Sure, let's get out of here. I got something I gotta do when I get back." He winked at Laura, while Daisy groaned.

"You two are disgusting." She just grabbed her things, making sure her flower was still in place, and began to walk out to the car. Laura caught up to her and gave her a hug.

"Please make sure he comes back." Daisy could only nod, knowing that this woman who had made her feel so welcome and accepted in her family deserved her husband back.

Laura smiled at her, a small smirk coming back onto her face. She leaned in to whisper in Daisy's ear. "Good, cause he's right. He's got some work to do when he gets home." Daisy blushed and stormed out, shouting a grossed out, 'Oh my God' over her shoulder. She could hear Laura's laugh all the way to the car.


	15. Chapter 15

Chapter 15

It didn't take them nearly as long to get to the Hydra base as she thought it would. Then again, she and Clint were on much better terms with each other than they were when they had their first road trip. Clint showed no detrimental effects of being shot, he said it was because he was used to almost dying. Daisy slapped him on the back of the head, for Laura's sake. But Clint was back to his normal self; cracking jokes and making her laugh the whole way there. When she looked out the window to see that they were near their destination felt like it was too soon to give up the nice time they were having, but she saw Clint shift into mission mode and knew it was time to do the same.

"Scout the perimeter. Then I've got a few toys that should tell us exactly what we will be dealing with. Did you find anything on that USB drive?" He looked back at her as he was going over his bow on the trunk.

"I ran a few algorithms, but it didn't have any information that we didn't already know. My guess is that the mainframes in the base have the data." Her hand ghosted over the USB drive in her pocket. Clint looked down guiltily.

"There probably isn't any data left. There is no doubt they know we are coming now, thanks to me getting shot. They probably scrubbed it all. I'm surprised they haven't torched the building just to be safe." Daisy nudged his shoulder, causing him to look up at her.

"No worries, I can find the back-up data and recover most if not all of the deleted data. So no worry, just don't get shot again. That'd be really annoying and repetitive." She gave him a comforting smile and he grinned back. She furrowed her brow, his other words registering with her. "You are right though, if they know we are coming, why not just burn the building and leave?"

He shrugged his shoulders, "Probably a trap. That's gonna suck for them."

Daisy laughed, agreeing with him, straightening her gauntlets. They were about a mile away from the base. Knowing that what awaited them was probably an entire platoon of men who couldn't help their pride when the prospect of taking down an Avenger presented itself, she made sure to pack a couple extra magazines of ammo. She saw Clint grab a couple extra arrows, including a weird looking one.

"What does that arrow do?" She saw him grin like a child with a favorite toy.

"Boomerang arrow." He looked at her as if he expected her to grin madly like he was, but frowned when she just raised an eyebrow. "What is it with all the women in my life and the eyebrow thing?"

"The only common denominator in that equation is you. Really a boomerang arrow? That's the dumbest idea I've ever heard." She scowled at the arrow like it was personally offending all of nature. In all honesty it was probably only offending physics. Fitz would probably agree with her.

"That's what Katie-Kate said. Don't worry; it'll prove you wrong eventually. It proved her wrong, and she is a lot harder to impress than you are."

She rolled her eyes and pushed off the trunk. They started off to circle the perimeter. The base was built next to a lake with a forest surrounding it. One road in and out, it was a very good strategic place for a base. What was strange was the lack of activity. There were two guards at every door, with battle gear on, but no other people walking through the hallways visible. The battle gear of the guards suggested that they were, in fact, expected.

Clint pulled out some goggles, placing them on his head. "This'll help me see the heat signatures inside. Good tech is always helpful. You have those scientist friends right? Tell them thanks from the Avengers."

Daisy chuckled, "You'll make their year. What do you see?"

Clint frowned, "Besides the guards on the outside I'm only reading two heat signatures. The room that we can get the data on is not too far from the two signatures though. Most likely waiting for us to drop our guard."

She shrugged, "I'm fast. It'll take me maybe three minutes to get the data, especially if it's been deleted. You keep them on the chokepoint of the door and we should be able to hold them off long enough for me to join in and help you clean up."

Clint nodded, "Let's take the guards out first, then we can worry about who is waiting for us." He placed the goggles around his neck and began moving close to get in range of the first set of guards. Clint's eyes lit up when he found a high place to climb up and take out the guards. He told Daisy to wait below him, he would take out the guards who were in range, and then they could move left and take out the remaining ones.

Daisy sighed and began to float a leaf with her power, waiting for it to float down before shooting it up and trying to control it. She heard the thwip of Clint's bow and waited. He shimmied down, before jumping the last couple of feet. He grimaced a bit and held his hand to his recovering wound. He smiled at her when he saw her worried expression and patted his side to show he was fine. They began to trek left to another tree that Clint spotted from his last spot. Daisy waited for him to do his thing again, once he got there, and then they made their way down to the building.

They stacked up on the door, Daisy drawing her pistol again, with Clint notching an arrow. They busted in and, like expected, there was no one home. They didn't let this fact effect how they cleared the rooms next to the data room. It was always safer to err on the side of caution. Unless you were a Barton, then you had someone else force you to be cautious. Finally once they made sure the data room itself was clear, Daisy holstered her weapon and plugged the USB drive in. She heard Clint move to the door, planning on the two heat signatures from earlier to come barging it with some form of ambush. But, as Daisy moved from screen to screen downloading everything she could dredge up, they heard nothing.

Finally she finished up and nodded to him. He smiled and waited for her to come next to him. The next part of their plan was to move throughout the building and find any other smaller data rooms that the original Intel from S.H.I.E.L.D. had missed.

They pulled open the door, to a room they hadn't cleared yet and Clint went through first. Daisy followed only a second behind him, only to run into his back. She looked up at him confused. His back was rigidly straight; the bow in his hand was clutched until his knuckles turned white. She moved to the side to get a look at his face, which was as pale as it had been when he had been bleeding out. She followed his eye-line to see two figures standing in the middle of an empty room. That usually didn't mean anything good. Then she took in their appearances.

One had a moustache, curled up at the ends, with a dark head of hair. He seemed to be around Coulson's age, though he was still rather fit. What made him stand out was the large broadsword resting casually on his shoulder.

The other one, the one who had Clint's eyes locked on him, was as unassuming as they come. He was, maybe a little older than Clint with rusty brown hair, long and swept to the side of his eyes. He had a bow, almost the exact make and model of Clint's. He had a cocky smirk on his face as he faced Hawkeye. He spared half a glance at Daisy, before he focused back on Clint. Finally he opened his mouth, and Daisy would remember the hauntingly false happy tone from the man, as he addressed Clint, for years afterward.

"Hey, little brother. How's the family?"


	16. Chapter 16

Chapter 16

She heard Clint mumble out, "Barney…" Barney placed a hand to his chest in mock surprise.

"You remember me! How are my little niece and nephew?" Barney began to casually pluck his bowstring, something she had seen Clint do several times on their mission.

Daisy could feel Clint almost vibrating with shock and rage next to her. Arrow boy, the other archer's name in her head, was still chuckling. Daisy just looked between them, and could tell that they were related. Barney finally flicked his piercing eyes at her and they lit up in a sickening glee.

"Well, little brother, it seems you took in another stray! What is this one now? Number 4? Let's see, there was the Russian, the mini-Hawkeye, and that little witch from Sokovia, right? Who is this one?" Barney seemed to be positively glowing with sick happiness at torturing his little brother.

Clint didn't seem keen on doing anything but glare at his older brother. Daisy stepped up and looked between them. "I thought it was the younger sibling that liked to copy the older one, not the other way around." She saw a flick of annoyance in Barney's gaze before it resorted to its smug default.

"She has a mouth on her, just like that mini-you. Guess I'll have to make my rounds to all of them once I kill you little brother. Though taking them out first would be more fun. But you have been exceptionally hard to kill, even when I took those arrows and jammed them down your ears you seem to get back up within weeks. I feel like I'm losing my edge." Barney looked to his companion who simply grimaced as if Barney was annoying him before maintaining his professional expression.

Clint spoke for the first time since they had stepped through the door, "You working for Hydra now? How low can you get?"

"Oh, your mouth does work. And no, I don't work for Hydra, but they were nice enough to give me a courtesy call when they found out you were coming. I told them I'd kill you for free. I brought along someone who owed me a favor to make sure it got done this time. I'm sure you remember our old mentor?"

Clint glanced at the older man, who looked miserable to be here, "Hello, Jacques." The old man simply nodded to Clint, the apology clear in his eyes. Clint focused his eyes back on Barney. "You had my number before, but this time it'll be different. You aren't going to hurt anyone I care about. I'm not going to let you."

Barney let out a bark of laughter. "Oh, you aren't going to let me? You've never been able to beat me baby bro."

Daisy had had about enough of Barney's shit attitude. "Well he never had me here. You're such a dick I'd put a bullet in you even if I didn't like Clint. It'd at least save me the migraine I have now." She glanced sideways and was rewarded with Clint's lips ticking upwards for the first time since they had been on mission.

Barney frowns, "I'll start with her, and then I'll make the couple hours drive to visit my dear sister-in-law. Don't worry, I won't hurt the kiddos, I'm not that dark. Plus, I know it would kill you more if I took 'em and trained 'em to be just like their Uncle Barn-." He was cut off as a powerful vibrating blast knocked him backwards.

Clint, who had drawn an arrow in rage, looked shocked as he watched Barney groan and begin to stand up. He looked to Daisy who was absolutely livid at Barney hurting the family that had been so kind to her. She would let nothing happen to them, not when she was seen as a freak, with her fellow Inhumans, and they had offered so much hospitality and love. She was going to kick Barney Barton's ass.

Barney got up and glared at her, he drew an arrow and shot it at Daisy who was not quick enough to move. She flinched, but saw Clint shoot Barney's arrow out of the air. It hit her for a second how good Clint actually was under his goofy demeanor. Barney yelling at Jacques the Swordsman to attack them interrupted these thoughts. Barney then charged at Clint, both of them shooting arrows at one another.

The Swordsman looked at Daisy. "I am very sorry for this." Daisy didn't say anything, just drew her gun and pointed it at the older man. He swung his sword down and ran at Daisy. She tensed, time to wreck shit.


	17. Chapter 17

Chapter 17

Daisy fired two shots off immediately, aiming for the body, but surprisingly he used his sword to block or deflect both shots. Daisy pushed her panic down at how good this guy was, and focused. She dodged to the right when he brought his blade down half-heartedly, yet still too fast for Daisy's taste. He waited for her to get back in a fighting stance before coming at her again. As he continued to half-heartedly take swings at her, Daisy realized that he really didn't want to be here. Which, in fact, might be the only reason why she was still alive.

She saw an opening, just barely there, and only because he was not trying as hard as he could be and she landed two solid body punches before he pulled back in pain from her strikes. He frowned at himself then looked to her. He tilted his head and then, charged faster than he had before. Daisy yelped as she barely turned to the side, catching the edge of the blade on her shoulder. She rolled and came up looking at her shoulder, now seeping blood. She glared at him as he quirked his lips and shrugged helplessly.

Daisy prided herself on turning emotions off during battle, so she denied she didn't feel a little smug when she sent him flying, with her powers, into the wall. He groaned trying to stand up, before his eyes locked on something on the ground. She froze as she saw what he did. The USB drive containing all of the information they came here to get was lying between them, lost during her amazing combat roll. He glanced up at her; his sword still clutched in his hand, and sprang for it. She used her powers to push it further away from the both of them, then limbo-ing under the swing of his sword.

She dove for the USB drive with him not far behind, and felt it in her hands before the flat of his blade cracked her across the face. She immediately knew her nose was broken and leaking blood. She pushed herself back so she could see her surroundings and saw the Swordsman stand above her with the USB in one hand and his sword in the other. He raised the sword at her and swung it down, she closed her eyes, knowing she didn't have enough energy to focus her powers that quickly. But instead of pain she heard the clang of metal on metal. She looked up to see his sword impaled into the metal floor and his hand with the USB reached out towards her.

She took it and looked at him confused. He backed away from his sword, offering her a small smile. He jutted his chin towards where she still heard Clint and Barney fighting, and spared them a glance. She paled as she saw Clint with several arrow wounds, what looked like a broken nose and possible a broken arm. She looked back to the Swordsman who finally opened his mouth, his French accent coming through now.

"I trained both of them. I owed Barney a favor, but I am proud of how Clint used his training. I wish I had been that kind of man when I was young. This is to fix that mistake as well as the many mistakes over my lifetime. I'm too old for this shit. Screw Barney." He walked away from her, as she tucked the USB back into her tac vest, right next to Lila's picture. She sprang up, seeing Clint take a nasty punch across his broken nose. Barney drew an arrow, but Daisy blew him across the room with her powers once again.

Clint sagged down to the floor, his arrow scattered across the ground, his bow arm uselessly broken. He couldn't even hold his bow anymore as he dropped it to the floor. Daisy put herself in front of Clint protectively. Barney slowly pushed himself up to his feet. He growled at her, "Those little powers are starting to get annoying."

"Not as annoying as your face." Daisy winced, "Okay, not one of my better zingers, but in my defense my nose is broken. I think I get a pass." She charged at him, trying to close the distance so his bow would be useless. It did not seem to matter to Barney though, as he put one into her shoulder. He laughed as she stopped in her place, swaying on her feet. She reached up and bit her tongue, breaking the shaft of the arrow so that she could move her shoulder the way she would need to. She gritted her teeth through the pain and launched herself at him in a punching combo May had taught her not too long ago. Barney blocked every single punch before striking her across the face with the handle of his bow. She stumbled back next to Clint, who was not looking too good. She couldn't hang with this guy, and Clint couldn't hang with this guy. Not to mention the loss of blood was starting to make her woozy and unable to focus her powers. This wasn't looking good.

She focused her wobbling vision on Barney who had drawn an arrow, aiming it at her heart. She stumbled and he smirked. Great here came the monologue. "Well, Clint's stray can't seem to protect him. That always seems how it is. Clint can't seem to do anything himself, that's why he goes around and cherry picks powerful people to treat with loving care. So he can use them to protect himself later. And now, he's used you to prolong his shitty life by a few minutes."

Daisy's eyes dropped to Clint's bow and she stooped down clumsily to grab it along with a single arrow from the ones that had spilled out. She heard Barney laughing as she attempted to nock the arrow to the string, finally getting it on the third try. She tested the bowstring, and found it manageable if not a little too much effort in her current state. Barney continued to laugh, even letting the string on the bow loosen, holding his arms out, inviting her to shoot him.

"I know from your form that Clint didn't teach you to use that. Not like his little mini-me. Take your shot. I am about to kill you after all, I feel like I owe it to you." Daisy drew the string back, trying to remember every TV show that had archery in it that she had ever pirated online. She aimed for Barney's smug mouth, letting the string go. The arrow sailed decently close to Barney's face, making his smile drop for a millisecond. But, nevertheless, it sailed past him. He chuckled.

"Did you really think that you could take me without any training in that weapon?" He asked, his muscles relaxing with his victory. Daisy, whom was staggering in place, just tried to smile through the pain and blood.

"Well you can do it, how hard can it be?" She saw Barney's look of rage as he pulled back the bowstring, lasered on her heart again. She made sure that she stayed standing, a last defiance to this son of a bitch who hurt her new friend and his family. She saw a flash of metal and then watched as Barney's face went slack after a brief flash of pain, and his arrow clattered to the ground, and he slumped over unconscious. Lying near the back of his head was the arrow that Daisy had shot; she squinted at it smiling a bit when she recognized the arrowhead. "I stand corrected. Boomerang arrow, fucking great idea." She heard a strangled cough from behind her.

"Told you it would prove you wrong." She turned around to see Clint struggling to sit up. She collapsed next to him and held his bow towards him and he took it back from her. He dug into his tac vest and brought out a small comms unit. He radioed a S.H.I.E.L.D. clean up squad and collapsed back with Daisy. The team was only ten minutes out so they just sat back in pain and tried not to pass out. Daisy turned to Clint who turned to look at her as well. He looked down at himself then back at her. "You just said I couldn't get shot with bullets again, so technically I kept that promise." Daisy rolled her eyes at him.

"When we get back to the farmhouse, I'm telling your wife on you." She was satisfied by his slight grunt of displeasure. Not the look of fear she was hoping for from a healthy Clint, but screw it everything hurt. She'll let it slide.


	18. Chapter 18

Chapter 18

A detainment team, with some medical agents, was waiting only ten minutes away, so Daisy only passed out once. Clint had fallen back unconscious not too long after Daisy lay down next to him, his face covered in blood, from a cut on his forehead and his broken nose. They sat side by side on a gurney, after the medical personnel had stitched up any life threatening wounds and straightened both of their noses out. That hadn't been a fun experience at all, but Daisy had elected to go before Clint, which meant that she got to watch him freak out about his "money maker" and sulk when the physician just grabbed his nose and pulled. That kinda made up for the pain.

It was not too long after this that they shrugged off the medical agents that continued to try to work on them, and shared a smile when they both insisted they were fine. They got back in Clint's car, and just sat there watching as The Swordsman and Barney Barton were led out in handcuffs and put in separate prison transport trucks.

"Jacques is going to get the same chance that I gave Natasha thanks to you. Thanks, for sticking up for him. He was a bastard, but still as close to a good parental person I'll ever get." He gave her a shy smile, that with all the Band-Aids on his face, Daisy found adorable.

"Glad that it's him. I'm not mothering you, Barton." That earned her a chuckle, before he grew somber again.

"Sorry about my brother." Daisy cut him off before he could continue.

"Spare me the self-guilt. Your brother is a dick. He is going away for a while. Don't blame yourself. Bobbi was right about the self-guilt thing."

It was silent for a moment before he turned his head completely to her a large grin on his face. "You know Bobbi Morse?"

"Uh, yeah… should I not?"

His grin widened and he started the car. "No, that's cool. How is Mockingbird? Tell me everything."

And she did. She told him stories of missions, how she gained her powers, even some childhood stories from the orphanage. She even told that weird story about the blind kid that came in for a while. He listened and asked questions and laughed at her dumb jokes, just like she would think an older brother would be like. That thought pushed all the pain out of her mind until several hours had passed and they pulled down a now familiar gravel drive. They walked, with arms around each other's shoulders to support their weight, up the wooden stairs and knocked politely on the door.

Laura opened it several moments later and sighed as their beaten up visage came into her view. "Stay out here, you idiots. I'll take the kids upstairs." She rolled her eyes at the fake hurt expression on Clint's face and shut the door on them. After a couple minutes of leaning against the door, it opened causing them to almost fall in. But disaster was averted with Laura helping them over to the table. She took care of Clint's wounds first, since Daisy had more time to rest than he did in the car. She didn't have to do too much; the medical team had done their job, just weren't allowed by either of them to do a thorough check-up. "Ignore Medical" was the Hawkeye motto. They just had a few scrapes here and there that Laura put peroxide on and bandaged.

Laura looked at Clint who had gained a somber look on his face once again. She raised her eyebrow and he simply replied, "Barney." Laura went rigid before relaxing after a few seconds. When Daisy leaned over to see around Laura, she saw that Clint had caught ahold of her hand and was running his thumb over the back of it. She smiled at the scene, getting up and limping to go upstairs and check on the kids. She got to Nathaniel's room first and opened it to find him asleep in his crib. She sighed and went to Cooper's room, finding him reading a book in bed. She smiled and arrived at Lila's room. She cracked the door open and found her at her desk with crayons spread out in a vast expanse of different colors. She softly closed the door, not wanting to disturb the little girl until tomorrow morning.

As she turned around she had to bite down a yelp. Clint was standing right behind her. He grinned at her as she shot him a glare. She may like him now, but he was still a smug bastard. He cleared his throat, his eyes shining as he had caught her checking on his kids.

"I do the same thing. I'll even check on Wanda and Kate when they stay here. Kate doesn't usually; she likes to stay in her apartment in Brooklyn near mine. Wanda always comes home when she gets time off training with the Avengers." Daisy just stared at him with a raised eyebrow, wondering why he was bringing this up. "My point is that they both have rooms even though they aren't always here. I think my daughter has claimed you to add to her collection of superheroes. Might as well make you a room to go along with the gig. I'll call Coulson when I need to ask you about style choices." Daisy felt that warm feeling bubbling up again, but tried to keep her face impassive. She could tell from her burning eyes and Clint's kind smile that she was not succeeding.

"I. I- Thank you."

Clint nodded his head and turned to move into his own room, turning around slightly to smile at her. "Though, for tonight, Wanda has volunteered her room again. But if you want the room with a less chance of things blowing you up, I'd take Kate's room. I'll take the brunt of her wrath, so when you meet her she won't even remember."

Daisy nodded at him and disappeared into Kate's room and immediately face-planted on the sheets, barely finding the effort to pull the covers down and over herself. She thought very quickly about how all the kids were safe, how Clint and Laura were safe before she felt her body relax at the safety of the farmhouse and being surrounded by this family. Her new family. Her last thought was of what her room here would look like and how often she hoped to come stay in it.


	19. Chapter 19

Chapter 19

The next morning, after being assaulted by an overexcited six year old, Daisy was treated to a wondrous pancake breakfast courtesy of Laura. God, Daisy might try to steal her from Clint; children and all. After that breakfast, she radioed May, planning to apologize for making her wait a night, but was pleasantly surprised when May told her she was contacted by the medical staff that they were both hurt and if she 'pulled a Barton' she would stay somewhere and recuperate for a night. They told May they were leaving to head to the airstrip now.

After she hung up and glanced to Clint. "Pulling a Barton?" He had the decency to blush and mumble into his coffee cup. Lila snickered while Laura rolled her eyes as she was feeding Nathaniel. Daisy said her goodbyes not too long after breakfast. They were just as tear-filled as the last time, but with promises to call and visit being focused on.

She saw Clint grab a box from another room and wink at his wife who shook her head with exasperation. Daisy furrowed her brow at this, but ignored it, as she made sure she had everything. She even made sure her flower was in her hair, as she had promised one love struck little boy that she would. She was in her civilian clothes from the bar, having been washed by Laura at some point. That woman was a goddess.

They settled in for an hour and a half drive to the airfield, easily slipping back into their conversation from yesterday, but without the added use of keeping themselves awake. She finally looked to the box in the back seat before turning to Clint.

"What's with the box?" He turned to her, his grin almost splitting his face.

"Don't you know what day it is?" She frowned as she tried to think, but before she could he interrupted her again. "It's Valentines Day!" She laughed at his joyous childlike excitement.

"Is the present for May? Won't Laura be a little mad at you getting another woman a gift?" He chuckled a little, glancing back at the gift.

"It's not for May and Laura doesn't mind. I got her and Natasha each a gift. This is just for my amusement more than anything. I had it made for after this mission anyway, but I figured I'd actually be going on it with Bobbi-"  
"It's for Bobbi?!" She interrupted him, her thoughts running wild at why he seemed so familiar with her. All of Hunter and Bobbi's comments and facial expressions coming back to her mind when she was first assigned to Clint.

He smiled, "Yeah. I was wondering if you could deliver it for me. Do we need to stop and get you flowers or a box of chocolates or something for the special person in your life?" She shook her head numbly, as she kept going over what could be in the box. Clint just kept his enigmatic smile the whole way to the airfield.

Once they arrived, the box and her duffle bag now in her hands, it was much the same as when she arrived. May strode out to meet them, pushing Clint away from another hug that he insisted on giving her, and finally nodding a greeting to Daisy. She nodded back to May before setting her things down on the ground to give Clint an embarrassed side hug, making his face split into a grin. Before she picked up her things up and walked to the quinjet, avoiding May's eyes.

She thought she heard May scolding Clint about Daisy getting hurt, but she knew he would shrug it off. She was fine and it was partly thanks to him. She settled in to the seat and placed her head back on the inside of the plane. Yeah, Clint Barton was an ass, but he was also one of the kindest people she had ever met. He was a great dad and a great husband. But to her, he was like the older sibling she had always dreamed of when she was alone at St. Agnes. All in all, Daisy hoped she would be coming back very soon.


	20. Chapter 20

Chapter 20

Daisy got off the plane with her duffle bag and the box for Bobbi. She didn't even wait for May to power the jet down before she was off in search of the older woman. Her curiosity was killing her and she needed to know what was in the box. On her frantic search of the bunks, she placed her duffle down to unpack later and sprints down the nearest hallway continuing her search. She passes Coulson who looks flustered at her sudden appearance. Especially while she was still bandaged up from the beating she took from Barney. She stopped, still almost jogging in place holding on to the box as she felt its contents slide around, to talk to the Director.

"Hey, Coulson. We'll debrief later. Just wanted to let you know all your nightmares are coming true. Clint and I are besties." She sprinted off imagining his horror stricken face. She didn't know how close she was to being spot on. But she also didn't know how quickly it changed to a small smile of affection.

She finally found Bobbi and Hunter in the common area. She strode in with purpose, pushing the box into her lap and sitting down on her other side that Hunter did not inhabit at the moment. Bobbi looked at her surprised for a second then down at the present.

"What is this?" Daisy pushed it towards her more urgently.

"I don't know. Clint wanted me to give it to you. For Valentines Day." Her eyes shot up to watch Bobbi and Hunter's reaction. Hunter went incredibly still and Bobbi flicked her eyes to Daisy.

"Today is Valentines Day?" Her tone was wavering a bit with anticipation. She looked at the box as if it were a bomb.

"Just open it! I've been dying to know what it is!" Daisy started the first tear before Bobbi got to it. As she uncovered the box of the wrapping paper, a festive one with hearts, a plain box was sitting there calling to Daisy with its secrets. Bobbi used one shaking hand to flip it open revealing a small wooden plaque. On closer inspection, and before Bobbi could move it out of her eyesight Daisy saw what it said.

 _Happy 12_ _th_ _Year of Divorce! We Almost Made It!_

Directly below that was a picture of young Clint, maybe about twenty years old, and a younger Bobbi, at a sweet eighteen years old in a wedding dress. Daisy's eyes widened and looked up at Bobbi who was blushing slightly, as she tried to get herself in control. Hunter cursed and stormed off to who-knows-where. All was silent for several seconds before Daisy erupted in laughter. She grabbed her stomach, and all of her wounds hurt, but she didn't care. She felt tears pouring out of her face as she laughed. She finally got herself settled down enough to speak before she turned to Bobbi who was still staring at the plaque.

"You married Hawkass? Oh my God, I can totally see it now. Birds of a feather, right?" Daisy chuckled at her own joke.

Bobbi rolled her eyes and muttered sarcastically, "Haven't heard that one before…" Bobbi then sighed, "Yeah, we weren't married long. We were young, had too many adrenaline filled missions together. When you are in life threatening situations too much, you kindle some passion. Kind of like what Hunter and I were like before."

Daisy chuckled, "I can see the appeal. He is a nice guy. I actually enjoyed working with him. I'd actually call him friend."

Bobbi smiled, "Yeah, he is. Has never been mean or nasty to me since the divorce. Laura's amazing too. But that's never stopped him from poking fun at Hunter. He calls him 'Clint Barton: British-version.'"

Daisy laughed, "That sounds a very Clint thing to do. So why Valentines Day?"

Bobbi chuckled, "We didn't even realize it at the time, but the day we signed the papers was on Valentines Day. It was a coincidence. If you want the whole story, ask Clint. He loves that story."

Daisy sighed happily, "I will when I visit next. God, that was funny. I might have actually pulled my stitches."

After that, Daisy and Bobbi talked for a while. Telling stories about Clint and about the mission. Daisy would have to go find Lincoln and Coulson later and tell the same story, but she didn't mind. After that, she'd get some downtime with Lincoln for Valentines Day. Sounded like a decent end to the day.


End file.
